A Mother's Love
by Luki Dimension
Summary: She loved him too much to let him go...but that was exactly what she had to do.  Kamen Rider Kiva.
1. Hold Him Close

_A foray into Kamen Rider Kiva, which I've been watching on and off lately. There's just so much untold backstory in this show (tecnically a whole 22 years worth) that I'm actually surprised more fic hasn't been written about it. _

_Very speech heavy - Been trying to get Jiro and Maya's voices right - harder than expected, but think I at least hit their ballpark. Enjoy._

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><p>9 months.<p>

For 9 months she'd hidden herself away in castle Doran. For 9 months she'd been instructing the three monsters that now resided there on how to keep it operational, on how to leave for short times without it going mad. For nine months Maya had planned, and prepared. With the message from Kivat that had come recently, the pieces were set.

It was not a decision she'd come to lightly. It was not even the best choice for Wataru. But it was the only right choice if her son was to have any life at all.

She had in fact, been thinking about it since the day her precious second son had been born. It had been difficult, forced to rely on human doctors for the birth, not willing to risk any contacts that might have been sympathetic to her plight. The monsters had been helpful, but none knew how to handle childbirth. When her waters broke, Jiro had carried her to the hospital, and waited outside. He had claimed to be Maya's brother, and had handled any paperwork thrown Maya's way, well aware she had no desire to answer any of it.

She was grateful. She wished she wasn't, because it only made her feel more guilty about what she was about to do.

"How is he?"

The former Queen looked at the doorway. Dressed in the tux he'd become fond of since taking over the Castle, Jiro was leaning against the frame, eyes focused on the babe sleeping in her arms. She smiled back.

"He's fine. There were no problems, and he's come out just perfect."

The wolf took it as an invitation, and came to sit by her bedside, pulling up a wooden chair and sitting in it the wrong way, arms folded on the backrest.

"Any...complications?"

Maya shook her head. "No markings, no fangs...I gave him a little of my life energy and he nibbled it down, but didn't look for more. He'll probably be able to pass for human."

She felt the man beside her shift, taking on his true form, and forced herself not to react as blue fur moved over her, muzzle sniffing her child curiously. Within moments Jiro had shifted back, eyes glancing at the door for any witnesses before looking back at her.

"Smells human too. Don't think even fangire will be able to tell."

Maya smiled. Perfect.

Jiro lounged back in the chair. "So, when are you coming back? Ramon and Riki keep nagging me to let them start fixing up Taiga's nursery."

"I...won't be coming back."

The wolfen froze.

"I'm going to raise Wataru in Otoya's old home."

Her eyes were on her son, but she could feel the glare sent her way without looking.

"What?"

Fewer words had ever been spoken with more venom, but gathering up her pride, Maya faced her sometimes-ally and spoke with determination.

"Wataru deserves a good life. What chance does he have hidden away in that castle? If he can pass for human, then I will raise him in the human world."

Jiro had clenched his fist around the chair's back. The wood was creaking painfully.

"I can't allow that."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Can't?"

He was growling now, eyes narrowed.

"Do you really think the two of you will last a day out there? He might be able to pass but you can't _Queen!_"

Maya flinched but said nothing.

"Your power is gone! You have no idea how to hide as a human. I promised Otoya I'd-"

"You promised Otoya that you'd help his son" Maya interrupted. "Not raise him, not protect him, help him. If Wataru is to survive he must do it out there, not hidden in a cage behind 3 body guards who have no right to lecture _me_ on how to be human."

Jiro was still glaring, though he seemed to understand.

"Then leave him here" he argued. "Leave him in his crib and walk out the door. Or give him to Shima like you did his brother. Make sure there's no connection to you."

Her hands tightened round his child. "I can't."

"Won't."

Maya nodded. "It would be best if Taiga and Wataru didn't meet. Not until they're older. Besides, he can pass now, but if he does show signs of being Fangire, I need to be there. He'll need to know how to control it. "

Wataru chose that moment to wake up, grumbling and writhing for attention. Maya immediately focused on him, while Jiro chose to look anywhere but at the two.

"Do you have a plan for the long term? You won't be able to hide forever, and we can't be constantly leaving the castle to keep an eye on him."

The baby was calming down, but Maya wouldn't look away.

"When he's older, and can take care of himself, I'll leave. Until then, I will have someone to watch me."

"Who? Someone from Blue Sky?"

Maya shook her head. "Kivat contacted me recently, to 'congratulate' me he said. Did you know he and his mate gave birth recently."

Jiro's eyes widened in comprehension.

"Ah..."

The former Queen smiled. "Kivat will be coming to stay with us, along with his son. When my time comes, I'll leave Wataru with the King's armour. Should he ever been in danger, should he ever have something he needs to protect, something to _fight_ for, he'll have it."

She finally turned, and smirked at the wolfen. "I'm sure your fuestles will come in handy then."

Jiro grunted, crossing his arms and leaning back. "I guess the three of us are on permanent house sitting duty until that time huh?"

Maya laughed. "I'm sure you can last a decade without a good meal. When Wataru becomes Kiva, you can feast on all the souls of the fangire he defeats. I'm sure you'll appreciate that. And in twenty years, maybe twenty-five, Wataru, and Taiga, will be strong enough to hold Castle Doran on their own. You can do whatever you want then."

True enough, a dark smile was creeping onto his face, the idea more than slightly appealing.

"I'd rather just grab the ones that come after the two of you immediately, but guess we can wait, just this once."

"Good."

"...I'd better head back. I'll send Riki to keep watch tomorrow. You'd better not leave till then."

Maya smiled. "Of course not."

Jiro headed out, pausing slightly at the door and turned to get one last look at the baby, before heading out of the hospital, slipping into the shadows and heading back for the castle. Riki and Ramon were waiting for answers, and he was certain they'd like what he had to say about as much as he had liked hearing it.

Well, perhaps less, neither of them had had the same...intensity to their relationship with Otoya, and both seemed more apathetic to their promise than he did. Regardless, Jiro had no intention of letting either of them back out.

He sighed.

"Your son better not be the same pain you were Otoya, or this is going to be a real bother."


	2. Letting Go

_Note: I have absolutely NO idea how old Wataru was when Maya left him to fend for himself. I tried to find out who was cast as him in the flashbacks to check his DOB, but failed miserably. I decided pretty much just to pick an age and go with that. Anyone actually knows the answer to that question, please let me know so I can fix it.  
><em>

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><p><strong>Letting Go<strong>

She had gotten careless.

Maya bit back the curse as she hit the ground, the fangire's attacks just narrowly missing anything vital. She could hear him chuckling, striding forward for the next attack.

It had been so long since she'd been hunted. Six years hiding in that house, raising Wataru with the Kivat's by her side without a single attack. The last two years there had been 5, but it had been months...when her son hadn't wanted to go to the park alone, she'd happily taken his hand...

And now she was going to die, and Wataru would be next.

She struggled to her feet, only to collapse again. She could not allow this fangire to connect her to her son. She had to get as far away as she could.

Another attempt, and another fall to the ground. The fangire was nearly on her now.

"Goodbye Queen" The fangire mocked, and aimed.

She closed her eyes, and prayed for a miracle.

"Oi!"

"Back off!"

She heard the fangire shriek, and her eyes opened. Her assassin was being struck back by bubbles that burst in explosions, sending him flying. He crashed to the ground, and a flash of blue flew past the former Queen and descended on the fangire.

Arms wrapped around her, and she jerked, only to find the green scales of Ramon's Bassha form.

"Ne ne, we'd best move Queen" the sea monster warned. "Jiro's in a bad mood."

Personally, Maya thought the wolfen appeared to be in a rather good mood. His punches and kicks and slashes were filled with sheer ecstasy. The monster had been cooped up in the castle for so long, he was probably happy to finally have an outlet for that frustration.

She let Ramon lead her back to the park, and she smiled as she spotted Wataru playing on the swings. Leaning on the frame was Riki, standing guard. He nodded as the two approached, then slipped away, heading back for Castle Doran.

"All three of you came?" Maya asked, as Ramon set her down on the nearest bench.

"We've gotten really good at taming Doran" Ramon explained, sitting next to her. "It's not easy, but all three of us can leave so long as we don't go too far or for too long."

They were taking their roles of caretakers very well. That was promising.

"Ah, Jiro!" Ramon called, jumping up and waving enthusiastically. "Over here."

The wolfen continued his lazy pace, ignoring his younger friend's actions and choosing to focus on Maya.

"The fangire is taken care of."

She nodded. "Thank you."

"Where is Kivat?"

Maya looked away. "At the house."

She could feel his temper rising, and closed her eyes.

"Yes, it was stupid. Yes, Wataru could have been hurt. Yes I could have been killed. I was careless, and it will not happen again."

Oddly enough, Jiro didn't answer right away, instead giving a pointed glare to Ramon, who took the hint and vanished. The wolfen occupied the seat next to her and crossed his arms.

"One of us should come out with you from now on. Kivat wouldn't have been able to stop a fangire on his own."

"That won't be necessary. "

Jiro growled. "Your pride is going to get you killed. If that fangire found you, it's only a matter of time until the next one does."

Maya nodded. "Probably. Which is why it's time to leave. "

The wolfen's eyes widened. "You're coming back to the castle?"

It was Maya's turn to glare. "Do not misunderstand me wolfen. I told you my plans the day Wataru was born."

Jiro's eyes flitted between her and the boy on the swings. "But that, I thought...Queen, he's **eight!**"

"I have left enough savings for him to live comfortably for a hundred years" Maya started. "And he's soaked up my tuition on how to make violins, and he will have Kivat to help teach him other things too. He can still be homeschooled by those I paid for too, they won't mind so long as they're getting money."

"Are you insane?" Jiro hissed. "Eight years old is TOO young for any child to be left alone."

"Then you'll just have to keep an eye out for him wont you Jiro?"

The monsters hands were clenched.

"You leave, I'm taking him to the castle."

Maya turned sharply. "You'll do no such thing!"

"Give me one good reason not to!"

Maya stopped, and looked back at her son.

"Right now, no one knows Wataru is related to me, so leaving him will not make him a target. In the future, when Taiga comes of age, that will change, Bishop will make sure of it. Wataru must become independent. He must become strong, and he cannot do that while I'm here. I will make him weak. And hiding behind you before he can stand on his own will make him even weaker. "

Jiro growled. "I thought you of all people would know love doesn't make people weak."

Maya flinched. "Wataru will survive. He is his father's son."

"...do you really think this is the best option?"

Maya nodded.

"I'll leave tomorrow."

"...we'll watch over him, but I don't agree with this."

He received a broken laugh in return.

"I know. Which is why you're such a good guardian for him."

Jiro smirked, then froze.

"Oi, look sharp, you've got company."

Maya paled, but relaxed when she felt the small hand on her dress.

"Mother, are you okay?"

The former Queen smiled and stroked her son's hair. "Yes Wataru. I just...fell, but I'm alright now."

The boy was looking between the two of them, confusion in his eyes. Maya processed the inevitable next question, and looked over at the wolfen.

"This is...Jiro. He's a friend. You're probably going to be seeing a lot more of him soon."

Jiro nodded at the boy, who smiled and bowed, before turning back to his mother.

"Mom, will you push me? I'm really trying but I can't get as high as I can when you do it."

Maya faltered, but recovered and smiled.

"Just this one last time Wataru."

She took his hand, and the two walked over to the swings.

'_Yes, let us have this one last time.'_


End file.
